Sunbearer Trials (2022)

Teo, a trans demigod, is unexpectedly chosen to compete in trials that decide who will renew the sun and who will be sacrificed. Thomas makes friendships, a crush and Teo's confidence in himself matter inside the spectacle of competition. This is a young adult adventure with high peril, not a low-stakes comfort read. Start here and continue with Celestial Monsters for the completed duology: queer lives have the scale and agency of an epic.